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Decluttering is a great way to re-organize your wardrobe and get rid of clothes that collect dust in your closet. But what happens when you throw your clothes away in the trash? They end up in landfills and accumulate in the environment for hundreds of years while emitting air pollutants. To stop this issue from worsening, recycling and reusing clothes are your best options. Here is a list of ways to get rid of your clothing without throwing it in the garbage:
1. Thread Up “Clean Out Bag”
Thread Up is an online clothing store that has a program where you can send all of your old clothes to their warehouse. They will provide a free shipping label and parcel so you won’t have to pay for shipping. Once at the warehouse, Thread Up will choose which clothes of yours to sell on their website or recycle. If they sell your clothing on their website, they will give you a percentage of the money back. Not only will you be helping the planet by not throwing out your clothes, but also you could make money as well!
2. Bring Clothes to a Local Animal Shelter
Any clothes that are unwearable could be donated to a local animal shelter. Shelters use fabrics from clothing as mats for the animals in cages. The fabrics can even be used to make toys for the animals. Who wouldn’t want to help our furry friends?
3. Nike “Reuse-A-Shoe” Campaign
Most shoe recycling campaigns or thrift stores would never take unwearable shoes, which makes Nike’s “Reuse-A-Shoe” Campaign different because it collects shoes that are worn out. All you have to do is gather up to 10 pairs of athletic shoes of any brand and drop them off at a local Nike store. They will then bring the shoes to their warehouses and use them to create new shoes!
4. The North Face “Clothes The Loop” Campaign
The North Face ensures your clothes do not end up in the landfill through their recycling program! All you have to do is bring clothes or shoes of any condition or brand to their stores. They will even give you a $10 off reward if you spend $100. Not only will you be recycling your clothes sustainably, but also scoring some great deals on clothing!
5. Resell your clothes
Reselling your clothes on apps like Ebay, Depop, and Poshmark are great ways to both make money and get rid of clothes you don’t want. Selling your clothes also ensures that the buyer will wear the clothing, so you will not have to worry about your clothes ending up in a landfill. I’ve made $1000 on Depop over the last year just on clothes from my wardrobe. It’s so simple to list an item as all you have to do is take a picture of the item and add a description.
It is important that we realize how normalized throwing items out have become in our society. Once we have a self awareness of how our actions impact the environment, we can learn how to strive for most environmentally sustainable lifestyles. I hope that upon reading this, you’ll think twice before throwing your clothing out!
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